German Marble Cake (Marmorkuchen)

German marble cake is a fluffy coffee cake with vanilla and chocolate marbling. This cake is here to convince you that everybody needs to eat more marble cake!

It's a German recipe (called Marmorkuchen there) with a hint of rum and lemon to keep things just a tad sophisticated! This cake is a little denser than the average American cake, think a muffin-like texture, and boasts flavor!

The chocolate glaze finish is extra delicious and helps to keep this bundt cake nice and moist along with some other tricks I will teach you in this post.

Check out this video that shows you how to make this cake!

Tools for Marmorkuchen

What you'll need is not much. A hand-held mixer will do, but I prefer using my stand mixer, so I have my hands free to add the different components of the batter for this cake. A nice spatula is also helpful to scrape down the sides of your bowl as you prepare the batter.

If only using your stand mixer, I recommend fluffing your egg white mixture first, and then set it aside once you're ready to fold it into the batter. The most essential item to have for this cake is a nice bundt pan. I have fallen in love with the many designs of the Nordicware pan and this one is a classic favorite of mine.

The baking time will depend on what time of material your bundt pan is made of. I have used a silicone pan in the past and had to increase baking time by about 8 minutes. Last but not least, make sure to have plenty of toothpicks handy to test the cake with (or a cake tester). You want several crumbs on your toothpick for the optimal, moist cake.

How To Make A Moist And Fluffy Marble Cake

There are a couple of tips and tricks I follow to achieve a moist and fluffy marble cake. Keep in mind that this cake is not like American cake, but rather like a German coffee cake with a texture similar to muffins. The most important things to keep in mind:

Don't overmix the batter

It's a great rule for most baking recipes. You fluffed the egg whites to add fluffiness to your cake. Don't ruin the fluffiness by overmixing your batter. As soon as you see no more white streaks going through your batter after mixing in the beaten egg whites, stop mixing! Yes, it's okay to use your stand mixer with a paddle attachment for this step, just keep it on low and scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically.

Add in a little extra milk with the cocoa powder

This is a trick to help the chocolate layer stay nice and moist and just the way you want it!

Don't overbake the cake

Instead, to be safe, set your timer for 10 minutes less and then test your cake in increments of a couple of minutes each. As soon as there is no raw batter on your toothpick (plenty of crumbs are great), get it out of that oven!

Get it out of that pan!

Your cake will continue to cook a little bit once it leaves the oven, especially if you baked it in a cast iron pan like I did, which will retain the heat for longer. Only let your cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it upside down to release the cake.

I tend to also forget about my cake once it's out of the oven, but this one makes a huge difference! It's important to grease your pan with plenty of butter and dust it with white flour before adding the batter, so the baked cake releases like a charm!

Add a chocolate glaze to retain moisture

Not only does it make the cake taste even richer and better, but it also serves as a barrier, retaining moisture inside the cake! Genius!

All of these tips will ensure your cake is as delicious as can be. 

Ingredients

The following ingredients make for a delicious marble cake like the one I grew up with.

• Butter. Use the good stuff. I like buying New Zealand grass-fed butter or Kerrygold from Costco to use for my baking needs.
• Sugar. I use pure cane sugar.
• Pure Vanilla Extract. The good stuff. You could also use the seeds of one vanilla bean instead.
• Lemon zest. This is an interesting touch, while not being overwhelming. I promise it's so good!
• Spiced rum. Almost every cake my Oma Sieghilde baked for us growing up had a little bit of rum added to it. I love using the Austrian STROH rum (what she used) for authentic flavor.
• Eggs. 6 of them. You'll beat the egg white separately from the yolks to add a more fluffy texture to the cake.
• Sea salt. Just a hint. This helps to keep the egg whites stiff while also bringing out more of the chocolate flavor.
• Flour. I use organic all-purpose flour.

• Baking powder. To help add even more fluffy texture.
• Milk. Room temperature is best, but don't worry if it's a little cold when adding it to the batter.
• Cocoa powder. It's important to use a good quality cocoa powder. Believe me, you will be able to taste the difference. I always buy fair trade as well.
• Dark Chocolate. The same goes for chocolate. I like using good-quality semi-sweet baking chips, but you can use any chocolate of your choice. Even white chocolate would be fun to use.
• More Butter. This is to make the glaze pour nicely over your cake.
• Sprinkles or other garnish like gummy bears or chocolate candies (optional). Instantly puts this cake over the top without much effort. It's common to do in Germany. Just make sure to add when the glaze is still wet.

Marbling Cake Batter

You will be happy to know that it's so simple. Simply grab a fork and pull the bottom layer of the batter through to the top. Turn your bundt pan as you repeat this step. It helps to do this in figure eight motions. This simple trick creates a subtle marble effect in each slice of cake. You can also use a butter knife with the flat side facing up to achieve bolder marbling.

Storing Marble Cake

You can store this cake covered at room temperature for about three days or in your fridge for up to a week. I love using this stand with a dome to display the cake and keep it fresh at the same time. The glaze helps to keep the cake moist and fresh, too.

Marble Bundt Cake For Afternoon Coffee

In Germany, it's tradition to have a slice of cake or a little something sweet in the afternoon with a cup of coffee. And this cake is perfect for that and even appears often topped with chocolate candies, gummy bears or sprinkles and candles for birthday celebrations.

As for the coffee, I love this beautiful French press by the brand Frieling. It's German-designed, thus extra sturdy and uses a patented filter to keep your coffee mug free of the grimy coffee sludge. I have it in 2 sizes. A larger one that we make a generous amount of morning coffee in and a smaller one that I use with my smaller cups for my afternoon coffee. They're worth every penny and I know you'll love them, too.

Other bundt cakes I love for afternoon coffee are my egg liqueur cake (really, it's so good!) and my red wine pear cake (one of my favorites growing up!).